Coliapsible box



Nov. 3, 1953 Filed Dec. 9, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l f /7 a? /I V FAQ-4 /76 Z W Y 35 .Z4 i 5,3 35 f@ ffy Y *Y /Z i f7 2,6 15 f i? /fff ff 'Z6 4f frm/en Or.' Henry L. Me/Z ef" by /7/5 #t tor/ways Nov. 3, 1953 H. L, METZGER` 2,657,851

coLLAPsIBLE Box Filed Dec'. 9, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i@ f5/iii?? by hf/'s @t-ahneys.

Patented Nov. 3, 1953 COLLAPSIBLE BOX Henry L. Metzger, Castleton-on-Hudson, N. Y.,

assignor to Fort Oran tleton-on-Hudson, N.

York

Application December 9, 1949, Serial N o.

ge Paper Company, Casa corporation of New 1 claim. (o1. 229-38) This invention relates to an improved collapsible type of box, and, more particularly, to

such a box which has an improved automatic type bottom therein.

Generally, it is an object of the invention to provide such a box which is simple and economical to manufacture by providing a single blank of cut and scored paperboard material which is easily folded and secured together in collapsed position for shipping purposes, and which readily can be erected into squared position ready for use, the box having an automatic type bottom therein which is positive in action and adapted to eliminate ngering or manipulation thereo'.f on the part of the user to complete the opening of the bottom.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide such a box having a bottom wall hingedly connected to the bottom edge of a front Wall along a line of fold, the bottom `wall having a cut-out section extending inwardly from its free end to a zone which is at least half the distance from its free end to the line of fold to provide a glue flap constituting a portion of the bottom wall and foldable against the bottom of a remaining portion thereof, the bottom wall being secured to the side walls, and a rear wall being secured to one of the side walls, whereby the bottom wall is adapted automatically to unfold to opened, bottom-forming position from a folded and collapsed position when the walls of the box are squared with respect to each other from collapsed position.

Another object of the invention is to provide such an automatic bottom for a box in which a glue flap constitutes a portion of the bottom wall and is smaller in area than the remaining portion of the bottom wall.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an automatic bottom in which the bottom wall has a single fold line, dening a glue flap constituting the remaining' portion of the bottom wall, extending from one end of the fold line to which the bottom wall is attached to the bottom edge of the front wall, diagonally to the depth of the cut-out section provided in the bottom wall.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a bottom wall having a single diagonal fold line as above described which forms an angle of approximately 45 with the fold line along the bottom of the front wall to which the bottom wall is attached.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises an article of manufacture possessing the features, properties, and the relation of elements which will be exemplied in the article hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the claim.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 illustrates a die-cut and scored blank of paperboard material for providing a preferred form of collapsible box with an automatic'type bottom embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 shows the blank of Fig. 1 partly folded and glued together;

Fig. 3 shows a further step in the operation of folding the blank of Fig. 2 for securing it together in collapsed position;

Fig. 4 shows the blank of Fig. 3 completely folded and secured together ready for shipping and erection by the user;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the collapsed box of Fig. 4 is manipulated to square the same and position the automatic type bottom;

Fig. 6 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 5 with a portion thereof broken away showing the automatic bottom in position upon squaring of the box; and

Fig. 7 is a somewhat smaller perspective view showing the completely erected box ready for lling.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, there is indicated a cut and scored blank of paperboard material having side walls which conveniently may be referred to as a front wall It, side walls Il and I2 and a rear wall I3 defined by vertical score lines I4, I5 and I6, respectively, and horizontal score lines I 1, I8, I9, 28, 2i and 22, respectively.

Extending from its free end to the score line, or line of fold 2I, along the bottom edge of the front panel I0. The cut-out bottom wall 23 has but a single line of fold indicated by a score line of the front wall I0, beginning at the score line 2|, at an angle of 45 and terminating at the depth of the cut-out section C. The score line wall 26 is dened by a score line 21. The base of the triangular portion of the bottom wall falls along the score line 2|, and the score or fold line 24 falls along the hypotenuse of the triangle as indicated.

An extension panel 28 is hingedly attached to the bottom wall along the score line 21 opposite the glue ilap 25 and this panel terminates at one end adjacent the side wall I2, the panelhaving a foidable corner portion 29 as dened bv a score line 30.

Another extension panel 3| is hingedly attached to the bottom of the other sidewall II-and top corner iaps top edges along the tively.

The rear wall has a cover 35 extending therefrom as defined by the score luie I9. A score line 36 through the cover 35 defines a tuck-in flap 31. Extending from the bottom of the rear wall is a false bottom flap or panel 38 defined by the score line 22. Extending from the side edge of the rear wall I3 is a glue flap 39 as defined by the score line 40.

In the operation of folding and securing the blank shown in Fig. 1 into collapsible carton formation, the corner portion 29 is folded around the score line 30 upon the extension panel 28 and any suitable glue or adhesive is applied to the exposed surface of the corner portion 29, or to a coinciding area on the side panel I2. The bottom panel is then folded along the score line 2| onto the front panel 20 so that the tion 29 becomes adhesively affixed to the side panel I2. The glue flap 25 is then foldedaround the score line 24 and upon the remaining portion of the bottom wall 26 as shown in Fig. 2. An adhesive is then applied to the exposed surface of the glue flap 25, or to a coinciding area on the extension panel 3|. In the meantime, the false bottom 39 is folded upon the rear wall I3 and the latter, together with the false bottom, is then folded over upon the side panel I2 as shown in Fig. 3. An adhesive is applied 'to `the exposed surface of the glue flap '39, whereupon the ,side wail II is folded over onto the front wall III so that the extension panel .3| becomes adhesively secured to the glue flap 25 and the marginal edge of the side wall becomes adhesively secured to the glue flap 39, the cut edge 32 coinciding with a similarly cut edge 4I on the glue flap 39. The cut and scored blank, when folded and adhesively secured together as above described, has the Aappearance of the collapsible carton shown in Fig. 4 and is ready for shipment to the user in bulk quantities.

When the user receives the collapsible carton, it is but necessary to squeeze opposite diagonal ends or corners the manner shown in Fig. 5 in order to square bottom 23 will unfold to opened, position from a folded and collapsed position as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The false bottom 3B will then fall into a position overlying the automatic bottom 23 and coverY the cut-away section C therein, box will take on the appearance illustrated in Fig. '7 ready to be filled with any suitable commodity, after which the aps 33 and 34 are infolded and the Acover 35 pushed down thereon, the tuck-in flap 31 being inserted between the ends of the flaps 33 and 34 .and the adjacent front wall III.

It will be understood that the invention :as vdescore lines I1 and I9 respecfined by the claims embodies such boxes which are rectangular in cross-section as well as those which are square in cross-section as herein illustrated. In either case, the score line 24 should form an angle kof approximately 445" with the score line 2| and extend to the depth of the cutout section C. The cut-out section C might be of a different configuration depending on the cross-sectional shape of the box and is not necessarily confined to the configuration shown in the drawings.

It will thus be seen that the objects hereinbefore set forth may readily and eillciently be attained and since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from thescope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be'interpreted as illustrative and not in 'a limiting sense.

AIt is also to be understood that the following claim is intended to cover al1 of vthe generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements ofthe scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-is:

In a cut and scored blank of paperboard material adapted to be folded and secured together to provide a collapsible box comprising front, Vrear and side walls, a bottom wall hingedly connected to the bottom of said front, wall only along va fold line, said bottom wall having a cutout section with a cut edge extending inwardly from one corner of its free end toa zone which is at least half the distance from said free end to said fold line and lying in a plane which constitutes a diagonal fold line that bisects the angle of the opposite corner to provide a glue flap constituting a portion of said bottom wall and foldable against the bottom of the remaining portion thereof and within the confines of said bottom which diagonal fold line extends from one end of said first named fold line, beginning at said opposite corner, to the depth of `said cut-out section, said glue nap being smaller in area than said remaining portion of said bottom wall, which portion forms a right triangle, an extension panel hingedly integral with said open bottom wall only along one side thereof opposite said glue flap and terminating at one end adjacent a side wall, foldable upon itself, and in said foldable position being adapted Vadhesively to be secured to an adjacent side wall. an 'extension panel hingedly attached to the bottom of the other side wall and adapted adhesively to be secured to the glue flap constituting a portion of said -bottom wall, and means adapted adhesively to secure said rear wall to said last named side wall; whereby said bottom wall is adapted automatically to unfold to opened, bottom-forming position from a folded and collapsed position when the walls of the box are squared iith respect 'to each other from collapsed posivHENRY L. 'METZGER References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

